Aug 20 2009
Back to school preparation — What do you do?
It’s inevitable that in the summer you can’t help but think about what you’re going to do when you go back in the fall. You toss ideas around in your head, but keep telling yourself that you’re not going to think about it until it’s time to get ready to go back. At least that’s what I do.
But then the packet comes.
You know which one I’m talking about: the packet with your class list, and information from the administration? And you’re thrust into that mental preparation…..
What do I do? I usually end up reading bits and pieces of Montessori books, looking for nuggets of inspiration. I’m particularly fond of Montessori From the Start: The Child at Home, from Birth to Age Threeby Paula Polk Lillard and Lynn Lillard Jessen. It’s a great way to remind yourself of Practical Life, and of how much those little three year-olds are capable. (Especially when faced with a year like I am going to have, with over HALF of my class being 3! YIKES!)
I also like to revert back to Maria herself. I can get re-inspired by her stories. I remember why I got into Montessori teaching in the first place. Of course, you can sometimes feel a little depressed that your classroom isn’t like that. But, you have to take it all with a grain of salt. Even Maria, herself, had a bad day every once in a while! She was human! Dealing with many humans! But when trying to sell a program, you don’t mention all of the faults and problems.
Another way to become reengaged is to work on writing Montessori articles. A while ago, I asked people to send me a few Montessori questions. I’ve been trying to process answers for them, to ease myself back into the Montessori groove. More to come soon.
So, what do you do to prepare for the new school year? How do you reengage with the Montessori philosophy? Please share with us, so that we can all inspire each other!
